Stocked Pantry

May 2017 - Toronto ON

HOMES

Got a spare $10 million laying about?

I quite fancied this condo this week.


And to something totally different! A Toronto coffee shop Niche is serving up a menu of these Freakshakes!

Saturday

The things I think about at 5AM.
Check the spices in the fridge - done. Remember last week I went to the Bulk Barn? I bought cardamom seeds, turns out I had not one, but two different packages in the fridge.
Filled up the other spices from my stash.

DVD movies - moved here five 5 cinco cinq V years ago and have never seen the light of day. Still outstanding

Travel books - too heavy to take with you. There are apps for that...
Or I print off info and then toss it as we go. Still outstanding

Electronics - printer, tablets, cell phones - still outstanding


Shredded more paper.

Baked an orange yogurt loaf. I thought I would freeze half but it was so good I never got a chance. Definitely a keeper!! BTW I used the no name gluten free flour from Bulk Barn and it worked like a charm.

Before I put the glaze on, straight out of the oven.

I made my first ever ice cream, coconut mango no churn. I had bought 3 mangos for $5 yesterday with another recipe in mind for company on Sunday.
I was a little icy, but that may be because there wasn't any cream in this recipe and I don't think the coconut milk was full fat.

For dinner, we made pizza using the pizza crust blend we bought last week at Bulk Barn. The nutritious content is in the link.
Gluten free pepperoni from Costco.

Sunday John went to play golf with BIL.

Since BIL was coming back for dinner I spent the afternoon blissfully cooking.

Can you believe I didn't take one photo????

I cooked Asian spicy chicken wraps with dipping sauce as an appetizer and I learned how to make perfect lettuce cups! Watch this!

BUT I think I have found an even better recipe from Gordon Ramsey!!!

I tired a new recipe (it's family, after all) P F Chang's Mongolian beef from Damn Delicious. It doesn't marinade the flank steak and I thought it needed it as it was a little tough for my liking. I also tripled the sauce amount as we like more sauce for the rice.
I served it with slivered snow peas, celery, scallions, carrots and cucumbers and made an Asian salad dressing. The recipe in the video above also looks very good as they add chopped mushrooms and top it with slivered radishes.

For dessert I made a coconut cheesecake adding some shredded coconut and omitting the *shudder* Cool Whip. I topped the servings with pureed mango mixed with lemon juice and honey and also chopped macadamia nuts.

Monday we headed out to Humber Nurseries to pick up some plants for our balcony. We decided to go with succulents as it gets quite warm out there.
We used to go to the nursery all the time when we lived in our house and gardened a lot.
There were some odd strange garden sculptures for sale.

This was rather cute, sorry about the price tag attached to her spectacles! Books and cats, certainly appeals to me.

This place is huge!

On our way back we made a stop. We saw these statues from the highway on our way to the nursery.

When we got back I set out to plant our plants. The nursery had a similar planter for sale at $119, I made two for about $100 including the soil and the pots.

Dinner was lamb chops, gingered glazed carrots and boiled potatoes.

I had bought a pomegranate (first time ever) with the intention of using the seeds to serve with the cheesecake but went with the mango instead.
I love the seeds and first had them in yogurt in Mexico.


I used this video to remove the seeds. It was really easy and not messy at all. I had mine with a slice of the cheesecake.

Tuesday we puttered around home as it was a rainy dull day.
Lunch was gluten free hot dogs.

I decided to make a pot of chicken soup, the stock was from a frozen batch I had and then added vegetables and spices. I did it in the slow cooker, for no particular reason, here it is cooking on high after about an hour.

Dinner was leftover Mongolian beef and rice with salad, I did saute some mushrooms, snow peas and tomatoes in soy sauce, hot chili sauce and rice vinegar to serve with the meat.

Wednesday was a gloriously warm day. Finally!

For lunch I used the leftover carrots and potatoes to make cakes. I had come across a recipe for them to be served with a curry sauce. We didn't love the curry sauce, it definitely needed something to combat the slightly gritty curry.

John went to his weekly golf game and I went for a haircut and then went looking for two CONTACT photography exhibits. I found one, at Scotiabank, Nature is Calling, that I didn't really care for.
I realized I had never been in the Scotiabank street level, Old Banking Hall before!

This is the heart of the banking financial district, in the photo below you can see t he BMO sign reflected.

The only piece in the exhibit that I liked.

CIBC has this sign for Canada's 150th birthday coming up in July.

I didn't find the second exhibit, in the CIBC (Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce) building across the street. But I did come across a fascinating display of historic banking equipment in its lobby. I will have to go back with John as he will enjoy it.

I came home and replanted the herb garden I had bought last week into various pots for the balcony.

I made a mozzarella stuffed meatloaf with mashed potatoes, corn and Brussel sprouts for dinner. Not a bad recipe, but it needed more spices.

Thursday we were treated to lunch at Canoe, as it is one of our favourite restaurants. It is on the 54th floor of the TD building in the heart of the financial district.
The menu always reflects Canadian sourced items.



I had "braised tamarack lamb anchovied turnips, broccoli, spätzle + beurre noisett".
OK so I googled anchovied turnips when I came home as there was no flavour of anchovies.
Seems there are quite a few turnip recipes with anchovies.

John and our host had "b.c. halibut spring vegetable fricassée, taramasalata, charred romaine + crispy brandade fritters". Not sure where the taramasalata was however.

The lobby of the TD building had an interesting display.

Some photos as we walked around.

Dinner was leftover meatloaf after that exotic lunch.


Friday I met my BFF for lunch and a looooong chat!
John golfed.


Dinner was steak, baked potatoes and broccoli.

BOOKS

Reading has definitely taken a back burner the last couple of weeks to knitting and cooking show competition bingeing.

I thumbed (electronically)  through a library book, A Beautiful Bowl of Soup this week. The title is from a Lewis Carroll poem:
BEAUTIFUL Soup, so rich and green,
Waiting in a hot tureen!
Who for such dainties would not stoop?
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!

It seemed every recipe was a family favourite. It did leave me wanting to make a tomato soup and an onion soup.

I couldn't find any of her recipes online but found plenty just like hers.
A few takeaways were:
Goat cheese croutons
Gryuere crisps

I started reading Love May Fail and so far I am enjoying it.


DECLUTTERING

1 bag shredded paper - is there no end?
4 hand towels blue and green. They were looking tired and old.
John - t shirt and a pair of shorts
Some user manuals/brochures that can be found online
Plant pots








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